Y~riet:, "·itl10ut scnsihle loss; but even l1ere "the song" furnishes a pattern on which it would be hard to improYe. The grounds for preferring poetry to prose for such an ()II( J)()uring ()f the heart as a thanksgiving have been already stated. 'l'he propriety of he)rinning and ending with praise is unquestionable. Repetition has a value as dcepeu- ing impressions, and-affording opportunity for remedying accidental coldness or inatten- tion. ln private devotion the actual repetition of the very same words has an occasional place, as we see by our Lord's example in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt. xxvi. 44); but in a composition, phrases should be varied. Moses's song may well guide us as to the extent anu character of such variation (e.g., vers. 5, 10, and 12). vers. 20, 21.-Tl,e aid which devout women can render to the Church. There a.re religions which exclude women from consideration altogether, express a doubt whether they have souls, and assign them no special Church work. But Judaism did not make this mistake. It utilised the services of women- I. As PROPHETESSES. Miriam was a prophetess. So was Deborah, whose song is one of the most beautiful compositions in the Bible (Judges v. 2-31). So was Huldah, who delivered God's message to Hezekiah (2 Kings xxii. 14---20). So was Anna (Luke ii. 36), whom the tradition makes the virgin's mother. God did not disdain to hold spiritual converse with women and enlighten them supernaturally; nor did the Israelites omit to take cognizance of the fact.and give such persons their due honour. II. As KATIOKAL DELIVERERS. Deborah "judged Israel" (Judges iv. 4), and it was she, rather than Barak, who delivered the Israelites from Jabin (ib. vers. 8, 14). Esther ::;aved her people from the malice of Haman. Judith i~ said to have delivered them from Bolofernes. Sex was no disqualification for high place among the Jews,any more than among their neighbours, the Arabs. 'lbe queens of Judah obtain constant men- tion in Kings and Chronicles. III. As PARTICIPATORS JN RELIGIOUS CEilEl!ONLI.LS. In the instance of Miriam we see how an important part of the; thanksgh-ing service which Moses celebrated on the passage of the Red Sea was assigned to females. Apparently, on this occasion, half the chanting, and the whole of the instrumental music, was placed in their hands. Miriam acted as Chora.,OTUS, or conductor, of the female chorus. Music is one of woman's com- monest gifts; and, though not eminent as composers, as renderers of the music of others, they have a fa.me exceeding that of ruen. 'l'hey can do much for the glory of God in contributiag to, and even sometimes superintending, the musical services of the sanctuary. In the Christian Church, there has been, equally from the first, a recogni- tion of the services that may be rendered to religion by women. The apostles, after the ascension of our Lord, " continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the 'll·ameu, and .l,fary, the mother of Jesus" (Acts i. 14). Phcebe, who conveyed to Rome St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, was "a deaconess of the church that was at Cenchrea" (Rom. xvi. 1); and an Order of deaconesses was generally recognised in the primitive Church, and believed to have been instituted by the apostles (~post. Const. vi. 17). In all periods some church work, in many very important church work, has been assigned 10 women, with great advantage both to themselves and to the community. Though :::it. Paul forbade their speaking in the Church (1 Cor. xiv. 35), and they thus cannot be iliinisters, subordinate employments of various kinds, suited to the nature of women, are everywhere open to them. The work of Sisters of Charity in various parts of the world is above all praise. That of district visitors, teachers in Sunday schools, Scrip- ture readers, etc., though less attracting the praise of men, is most valuable. Devout women, working under their ministers, can be the instruments of incalculable good, and ilu as much for the prowotion of true religion as if they were men.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-19. Moses' Song. The sublimity of this noble ode is universally admitte,1. 1t brings Moses before us in the new character of "poet." Moses does not seem to have ,1cvoted himself largely to this species of composition; but the three specimens of his ",,rl, which remain to us-this ode, bis "Song" and "Blessing" in Deuteronomy, anrl I'.,. ~c.-shuw him to have possessed a poetical gcuiu~ of the very highc:st or<lcr; to CII, XV, 1-10.] THE BOOK OF EXODU~. i